


Love and Pixie Dust

by the-captains-ayebrows (EscapistFiction317704)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Jones Brothers, Romance, tinkerhook
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-27 07:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5039935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EscapistFiction317704/pseuds/the-captains-ayebrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a prompt from Lenfaz:  Lieutenant Killian Jones falls in love with a fairy named TinkerBell. When the Blue Fairy finds out, she banishes Tink to Neverland. Killian, with the help of his brother Captain Liam Jones, sets sail to Neverland to rescue her. <br/>This will be a three-part story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I usually write Captain Swan, but sometimes I ship a little bit of TinkerHook, too. If you can't stand to see Killian with anyone but Emma, then this story isn't for you. No hard feelings. :-)  
> If it helps, I can 100% promise you that Liam Jones is going to survive this trip to Neverland!

_Magical._ It is the only word Lieutenant Killian Jones can think of to describe this night - sitting here on a grassy slope by the docks beneath the black velvet canopy of sky. As the tinkling bells of her laughter ring in his ears, he muses that his lovely fairy companion, Tinkerbell, is indeed well-named.

Desiring to hear the glittering sound once more, he makes some other foolish jest and is rewarded with not only another peal of her laughter, but the warmth of her delicate fingers curling around his. She nestles against his side, leaning her soft, cherubic cheek against the coarse blue fabric of his uniform jacket. His heart swells within his chest, and he tilts his head to rest atop hers, savoring this blissful, quiet moment together.

His eyes drift down to their joined hands. He knows it’s madness for a mere mortal to love a fairy. Not only is it strictly forbidden by the code of her people, but it is widely believed that fairies by their very nature are not capable of love. He would likely still believe that himself had he never known his Tinkerbell.

Clear as crystal, memories rush back to him of the night they met outside the Black Lion Tavern right here in Misthaven. Liam (both his brother and his Captain) and the rest of the crew had been setting out to enjoy their shore leave. As Captain, Liam nearly always accompanied his men to the local watering hole when in port, as much to keep a watchful eye on them as to bond and socialize. In fact, the only night on which Liam refused to join the crew was the annual celebration in honor of the sea goddess Ursula. He would always grumble something about a _nonsensical tradition in honor of a myth_ and disappear alone for the evening. If Killian and the men found this behavior odd, no one dared to question their Captain about it.

Killian bid adieu to his brother and the others at the tavern door, and as he turned to go, he literally bumped right into a bloody vision in an emerald dress. Alcohol and bawdy revelry held no charm for Killian, but the same could not be said for the heavenly beauty standing before him, all golden ringlets, rosy cheeks, and mischievous green eyes. In all his twenty years of life, he had never met such a bewitching woman.

After that first night, Liam had warned him not to put any stock in her attentions. Fairies are capricious creatures. At best she would break his heart, and at worst, turn him into a newt when she tired of him. Still, Killian had been drawn like a moth to her ethereal glow. To his elation and astonishment, she seemed to feel the same for him. Thereafter, each time the _Jewel of the Realm_ made port in Misthaven, he and Tinkerbell would find each other and steal away into the night.

Their rendezvous were purely innocent, simply talking and laughing together for hours on end. He was a gentleman, after all, and would do nothing to sully his Lady Bell (as he’d taken to calling her, though she teased him for his formality). Over the past year, their association had blossomed into an intimacy of the heart, if not the body, and he had fallen desperately in love with her. He has yet to speak these feelings aloud, however, as he fears his love may be unrequited; that she sees him only as a dear friend and nothing more. But when she is pressed against his side, as she is this moment, sighing in contentment as her thumb traces lazy patterns on his hand, he _hopes_. Gods above, does he hope.

Tonight as they sit together under the stars, he can no longer keep his feelings to himself. He takes a deep breath and pulls back from her enough that he can meet her eyes. She looks at him curiously, and he swallows hard, praying to whatever deity will listen that his voice will not crack or falter in an unmanly fashion.

“Lady Bell,” he begins, casting his eyes down nervously. “I know I’m only a mortal and not worthy of your affections, but if I do not give voice to the emotions you have inspired within me, I fear I may drown beneath the tide of them. I - I love you, Tinkerbell, most passionately and ardently and -”

His rambling declaration is cut off by a press of her index finger to his lips. His heart plummets, assuming she means to refuse him, but when he dares to look up at her face, he clearly sees the glint of joy in her emerald eyes.

Her face breaks into a radiant smile. “I love you, too, you silly boy!” she giggles, and springs forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

The force of her exuberance knocks Killian off balance. The two tumble together to the ground, Killian landing flat on his back with Tinkerbell squarely on top of him. Her arms are still twined around his neck, their faces mere inches apart. Without intending to do so, Killian’s hands have found her waist, and he holds her steady as their breathing slows.

Their eyes meet and their smiles fade, each completely entranced by the other. Killian reacts first, shaking his head slightly to break the spell of the moment. He begins to voice an apology for the unseemliness of the situation, but Tinkerbell shushes him, her eyes flicking down to his lips before meeting his gaze again.

“Killian, for once I don’t want to bother about good form,” she whispers. “Let me kiss the man I love.” With that, she closes her eyes and presses her lips to his.

Killian sees stars, though not those dim and stationary bodies in the night sky. No, these stars zoom and glitter and explode, infinite galaxies swirling behind his eyelids. His arms wrap around her waist and tighten, pulling her ever closer to him, craving her warmth and more, much more of whatever this new sensation is that ignited within him the moment their lips touched. His thoughts have scattered to the wind, yet somewhere in his reeling mind he thinks that this moment is perfect, that absolutely nothing in this realm could spoil it.

“GREEN!”

The harsh, high-pitched voice has Tinkerbell jolting upright and scrambling to her feet. In a state of utter perplexity, Killian follows suit and is amazed to see the tiny and obviously angry form of the Blue Fairy hovering at their eye-level. He’s never seen a fairy in her natural miniature form, and is completely taken aback. Blue bobs gently in the air emitting an eerie light, and Killian is absurdly reminded of the phosphorescent jellyfish he’s seen far out at sea.

Blue flutters nearer to Tinkerbell pointing her wand menacingly. “What in all the realms do you think you’re doing with that mortal?”

Killian’s hand finds the hilt of his cutlass as he steps between the two fairies. “That mortal happens to love her, and will do whatever it takes to protect her!” he snarls.

With a wave of Blue’s wand, shimmering magical bonds appear holding Killian immobile.

“Foolish boy,” she sneers. “How dare you presume to intervene in fairy affairs.”

She turns her attention back to Tinkerbell, who has stepped out from behind Killian’s frozen form. “Now come along and I will deal with you back at Fairy Haven.”

“No! I won’t go back with you,” Tinkerbell shouts, standing her ground. “I love him, and I demand you let him go!.”

“You _demand_?” Blue huffs indignantly. “Need I remind you that I am Head of your Order? No, child. You shall make no demands of me. Come along this instant, Green.”

“I will not! And my name isn’t Green, it’s Tinkerbell.” She crosses her arms over her ribs defensively, but Killian sees from the corner of his eye that her fingers surreptitiously dip into a small pouch tied to her belt.

Blue swoops right up to Tinkerbell’s face, and the threat in her voice is overt. “This is madness, Green. You know the punishment for consorting with mortals.” Blue backs away with a sigh. “But you’re young yet, and this, though severe, is your first offense. Come back to Fairy Haven now, and I will be lenient with you.”

Tink palms whatever it was she’d taken from her pouch, keeping her eyes locked with Blue to divert the Head Fairy’s attention from her movement. “And you’ll let this mortal go?”

“He is of no consequence. The mortal shall be released.”

“Then I agree to your terms.”

With a swish and flick of Blue’s wand, the magical bonds dissipate. Killian rushes to Tinkerbell, embracing her fiercely.

“My love, you don’t have to do this,” he pleads, pulling back to look at her face. She simply shakes her head and takes his hand, pressing a small, smooth object into his palm.

Blue clears her throat, pointedly indicating their moment for good-byes is over. Tinkerbell leans in to hold Killian one last time, and he can feel her shaking like a leaf in his arms.

“Find me,” she breathes against his ear, then steps away and the fairies vanish in a puff of glittering blue smoke.

* * *

_Find me._ Those words have haunted him for months. He’s tried his damndest, searching at every port the  _Jewel_ reaches, interrogating any and every person with the slightest hint of magical knowledge, but he has failed. It seems little is known about fairies in general, even less about Fairy Haven, and nothing at all about where such a place might be or how one could travel there.

Equally mysterious is the object with which Tinkerbell entrusted him before she vanished: an unassuming glass bottle filled with what appears to be nothing more than very fine sand or dirt. Whatever the substance may be, there doesn’t seem to be enough of it to do a bit of good. The bottle itself is smaller than the little pewter mugs from which he takes his shots of rum.

Yes, as Killian’s despair increases with each passing day, so does his liquor consumption. He was ashamed of himself at first, attempting to hide the vice from Liam and the crew, but he has ceased to bother anymore. With the rum to aide him, he is able to sleep dreamlessly at night, and the crew now have a Lieutenant who does not confiscate and toss overboard their own stashes of alcohol. He presumes that all aboard the _Jewel_ are content enough with the arrangement. His presumption is incorrect.

“It pains me to see you this way, brother.” Blinking into the light streaming in from the now open door of his cabin, Killian sees the towering silhouette of Liam leaning against the doorframe.

“Aye?” he grumbles in response. “And it pains me to see that the Captain of the _Jewel of the Realm_ would show such bad form as to barge into his Lieutenant’s quarters without so much as a knock.”

Rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands, Killian misses his elder brother’s dramatic eyeroll. “Oh, Captain is it then?” Liam clears his throat and takes on his most commanding tone. “Well, as your Captain, I should be shocked at the disgraceful state of your person and uniform and your obvious drunkenness during the middle of the bloody day. I should also likely order your sorry arse above deck. If you have time to drink alone in your dark cabin, you have time to do some productive work.” Liam paused, inclining his head in imitation of a bow. “Speaking as your Captain, of course.”

Killian clenches his jaw and turns his face away from the still blinding daylight (and perhaps from Liam’s scrutinizing gaze), but sits up a bit straighter. Liam sighs, and moves to sit next to him on the bunk. He regards Killian’s shattered expression and disheveled state with a rush of fraternal love and sympathy. He looks so young, so vulnerable, and it breaks Liam’s heart seeing his little brother this way. His memory is flooded with images of the wide-eyed scrap of a boy he’d held in his own scrawny sixteen-year-old arms and swore to always care for and protect, ever since the night their father had -

_I will not think of that now,_ he reminds himself. _But I will hold to the promises I made to my baby brother_.

“Killian,” he begins again, his voice far softer, “you have searched for months now, in every port which the _Jewel_ can reach. You have done all that you possibly can. This is the business of magical beings. You may have to simply accept that your lady love has gone somewhere you cannot follow.”

The words are spoken with kindness, but Killian winces as if Liam has slapped him. Teeth bared and eyes wild, Killian rounds on his brother. “ _Done all I can? Simply accept it?_ It isn’t as though she left me by her own choice, Liam. You didn’t feel her trembling in my arms, or hear the quiver in her voice as her parting words begged me to find her! How am I supposed to simply _accept_ that? Gods, have you ever even _been_ in love?”

A sudden flash of emotion haunts Liam’s eyes as the silence stretches between the brothers, the last question hanging in the air like a spectre. As his anger abates, Killian becomes aware that Liam is looking at him without seeing him. His brother is far, far away at this moment.

With a small shake of his head, Liam returns to himself, finally answering in a weary murmur, “Maybe I was. Once.”

Stunned to silence, Killian looks at his brother with new eyes, seeing for the first time not the stalwart Captain or the stubborn, over-protective brother, but simply a man. Someone with his own dreams and flaws and secrets, much like himself. It’s been the Jones Brothers against the world for so long, that it’s easy to forget that Liam is his own person, that there could possibly be aspects of Liam’s life of which Killian doesn’t know.

For nearly as long as Killian can remember Liam has been all that he had in the world- father figure, brother, and now Captain. Still, there were five years that the brothers spent apart. Five years from the day that Killian was given his very first naval post as a Midshipman on the _Dauntless_ until he was finally transferred to the _Jewel_ shortly after Liam's appointment as Captain.

He thought he'd heard all of Liam's tales from their time apart, but _love_? Killian is certain he would've remembered a story such as that. Perhaps he does not know his beloved brother as well as he thought.

Minutes pass as the two sit in silent communion. Finally, Liam stands and extends a hand to Killian to help pull him up from the bunk. “Brother, do not think that I lack empathy for your plight. Nonetheless, I'm at a loss as to how to advise you in this matter. I know nothing of fairies or the magical realms - as it seems there are few who do.” He sighs, running a hand through his mop of curly brown hair. “Do you truly love this Tinkerbell?”

“I do, brother,” Killian asserts.

Liam claps him on the shoulder. “Then my counsel to you is to hold onto your hope. You never know when the heavens may part and show you mercy.”

No sooner do the words pass Liam’s lips then a resounding crash echoes down from the main deck. The brothers rush topside to find the crew in a stunned silence, giving a wide berth the to tangled mass of limbs and sparkling pink tulle in the center of the deck. With a flurry of iridescence, the newcomer rights herself, smoothing her chocolate brown hair and pulling a kink out of her glittering wing.

Taking a deep breath, she anxiously searches the faces of the crewmen encircling her. “My name is Nova,” she announces, urgency evident in her voice, “And I seek a sailor by the name of Killian Jones.”


	2. Chapter 2

**_ In our last chapter: _ **

_ A resounding crash echoes down from the main deck. The Jones brothers rush topside to find the crew in a stunned silence, giving a wide berth the to tangled mass of limbs and sparkling pink tulle in the center of the deck. With a flurry of iridescence, the newcomer rights herself, smoothing her chocolate brown hair and pulling a kink out of her glittering wing. _

_Taking a deep breath, she anxiously searches the faces of the crewmen encircling her. “My name is Nova,” she announces, urgency evident in her voice, “And I seek a sailor by the name of Killian Jones.”_

* * *

Killian steps forward, his confident facade belying the torrent of emotions the sudden appearance of the fairy, Nova, has churned up within him. “I am Killian Jones.”

She regards him with an unexpected glint of kindness in her warm brown eyes.  She moves closer to Killian and lowers her voice so as not to be heard by the crew. “Then you must have some suspicion as to why I am here.”

“Tinkerbell?” Killian asks, a trace of hope lacing his tone.  Yet, he sees sadness and fear in Nova’s eyes as she nods once in confirmation. Any delusions he may have harbored that the fairy brings him good news of his love are quickly dashed.

Killian looks over his shoulder to Liam, the only soul close enough to have overheard his brief exchange with Nova.  Ever the proper Captain, Liam calls the men to resume their duties and escorts Nova to the captain’s quarters so they may speak in private, Killian following close behind.

Once the three of them are seated at the small table in Liam's cabin, the door shut and locked behind them against prying ears, Nova begins her tale. "The Green fairy - Tinkerbell as you know her - has been exiled by Blue to a realm called Neverland. It is a terrifying place, fraught with dangers, but none so great as the demon known as Pan who rules over the island.  I have recently received news that Pan has taken Tinkerbell as his prisoner.”

Confusion and white-hot anger wage war in Killian’s gut. “I don’t understand,” he manages to grit out. “Blue promised her leniency if she returned to Fairy Haven. Why would the head of your order deliver one of her own into the den of some monster?”

Nova furrows her brow and tilts her head slightly, seeming to consider Killian for a moment. "She never told you, did she? The punishment for fraternizing with a mortal? I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. Green is so impulsive, I'm sure she simply assumed that your dalliance would never be discovered."

Killian draws back, affronted. "We did not  _fraternize_ , milady, nor did we  _dally_. I  _loved_  her!”  He stops, surprised at the harshness of his own words.  As he continues, his voice is softer and his expression earnest. “I love her still, and I - I believe that she loved me, too."

With a slight shake of her head, Nova sighs.  “Then more’s the pity for you both. The exile was an act of leniency, Lieutenant Jones.  For a fairy to love a mortal…” She swallows hard and her voice fades to a dark whisper. “The penalty is death.”

Liam cuts his eyes to his brother, taking in his dumbfounded countenance.  He leans an elbow on the table and addresses Nova. “You have spoken of Tinkerbell’s punishment being a period of exile to Neverland, but I take it that her capture by this Pan creature was not intended to be part of the sentence?”

Nova turns to Liam. “No, it most certainly was not,” she asserts. “And even if it was Blue’s design for Tinkerbell to be taken by Pan, I cannot simply sit by -”

“But why?” Killian interrupts, having finally found his voice.  Liam and Nova snap their attention to him. “Why would you help us?  Would not the punishment be the same or worse for you?”

Nova squares her shoulders and looks Killian straight in the eye.  “Because Tinkerbell is my friend.  Because no one deserves that fate, and because -” at this her gaze falters, darting briefly to the floor and back “- let us say that I, too, understand the pain of a forbidden love, though mine was unrequited.”

“You loved a mortal as well?” Killian asks, his brow etched with concern for this unlikely ally.

Nova shrugs her shoulders with a wistful half-smile. “A dwarf, actually.”

“Truly?” Liam and Killian reply simultaneously, each raising their brows in matching expressions of befuddlement.  

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Nova giggles at the sight of them.  “‘Tis a long story.  And might I say, had I not known already that the two of you were brothers, your faces at this moment make it undeniable.”

The Jones brothers scowl, and each examines the other’s face, not at all seeing what the fairy may have meant. Nova glances between them, stifling another giggle with a cough, as Liam speaks up. “I assume by seeking out my brother here, that you have something more to offer than dire tidings.  Please, tells us what we can do to rescue Tinkerbell.”

Nova reaches into a small drawstring pouch at her waist and brings forth what appears to be a curved bean, no longer than a gold doubloon.  The bean seems to glow with an otherworldly iridescence, and neither Captain nor Lieutenant Jones has ever seen its like.

Killian eyes the object warily, then looks up to meet Nova’s gaze.  “I assume this object has magical properties?”

“You assume correctly, Lieutenant.  This is a magic bean. It can open a portal to another realm, allowing you passage into Neverland. But there is one great problem.”

“Aye,” Liam piped up.  “There’s only one of them.”

Nova pressed her lips into a grim line, nodding.  “That’s right, Captain. These beans are scarce as hens’ teeth and infinitely more valuable.  It was difficult enough procuring this one.  I’m afraid that your brother will have to find his own means of return, and it will not be easy.  No one leaves the island of Neverland without Pan’s express say-so.”

Killian scrubs a hand down his face in frustration.  _Why the bloody hell would this fairy show up here only to give him half of a hope?_  He drums his fingers against the old wooden table, his mind working furiously. Suddenly he stops.  _But what if…?_

Killian stands and darts out the cabin door, ignoring the perplexed expressions of his brother and the fairy.  Quick as a wink, he finds the item he seeks in his own quarters and rejoins the others.  He holds outs the small glass vial that Tinkerbell had snuck into his hand at their parting. Nova’s eyes widen, and she reaches out to take the bottle pausing before actually touching it, her delicate hand suspended in midair.

“May I?” she asks, and Killian nods his assent.  As soon as her fingers close around the bottle, a shimmer of light emits through it, making the fine-gritted substance inside glitter.

Liam huffs in impatience, rolling his eyes. “Sparkly dirt.  Wonderful.  Now how will this  _stuff_  be of any use, milady?”

Nova ignores the Captain’s irritation, carefully studying the bottle and its contents. Finally, she raises her head, looking from Killian to Liam.  “This is pixie dust, Captain.  The most powerful fairy dust in existence. Even this small amount could be just what is needed to get Tinkerbell and the Lieutenant home.  The only caveat is that none but a fairy can use it.”

“Then that is no problem at all,” Killian asserts, “for I  _will_  find and save her.”

Nova gives him a small smile, placing the bottle back into his palm.  She gently curls his fingers around the bottle with her own, and holds his hand in hers. “See that you do, Lieutenant.  For both of your sakes.”

Their business completed, Liam leads Nova back to the ship’s main deck.  With final wishes of good luck to Killian, Nova bids adieu to the brothers.  With a flash, she shrinks herself to her miniature natural state, and flies away leaving nothing but a trail of glittering light behind her.

When the fairy is out of sight, Killian turns to Liam. “I must go to my quarters, brother, to prepare for my journey. I request permission to take one of the long boats. With that I could row far enough away from the  _Jewel_  so that there is no risk of her being dragged into the portal along with me.”

Liam grasps his brother by the shoulders, his brow furrowed. “What madness is this, Killian?  Do you actually believe I will allow my little brother to embark on this quest alone?”

“Younger brother,” Killian huffs as a reflex.  “And to speak of madness, would you leave the _Jewel_  without a captain?”

“Brother, you heard what the fairy said.  This mission of yours is too perilous, not to mention abandoning your post to attend to it is an act of treason. You would never be able to resume your position as an officer in the King’s Navy. I would not have you face such things by yourself.  When we were but children alone in this world, I swore to protect you.  I am loyal to King and country, but that loyalty shall always come second to my love and duty to my only family - my first oath. I am going with you, and as your brother and Captain, I shall brook no dissent on the subject.”

Killian sees the earnestness and stubbornness in his brother’s eyes.  The same that beats in his own heart, flows through his own veins. He knows full well that there will be no dissuading Liam, and cannot decide whether he wishes to embrace his brother or punch him in the jaw for his pig-headedness. He extends his hand to Liam as a sign of acceptance.  “I suppose it is settled then, brother.”

Liam grips Killian’s hand with perhaps more strength than is necessary. “It is settled. We shall prepare this night for the voyage when we make port at Glowerhaven, and depart for Neverland tomorrow at first light.”

“What of the crew, Captain?”

Liam narrows his eyes. “I propose we give them a choice.  Join us on this worthy hero’s journey, or remain behind and continue to serve King and country.  What say you, Lieutenant?”

Killian nods his assent.  “It may prove wise to have more numbers on our side, and I agree that it should be volunteers only.”

“Then let us see what this crew of ours is made of, aye?”  Liam speaks with a twinkle in his eye, then ascends to the helm, calling all of the crew to attention.  

Killian watches in awe as his brother delivers his speech. “Greatness” is too small a word for his Captain, truly a leader among men. Liam’s words rouse the blood and inspire despite revealing the irrefutable truth of the deadly risk of the mission and (to Killian’s mild embarrassment) the personal connection to their very own Lieutenant. In the end, ten members of the crew choose to join their Captain and Lieutenant on the quest to Neverland, while it is decided that the rest shall remain in port at Glowerhaven to await the arrival of another of His Majesty’s ships.

That night in port the men make merry as though there will be no tomorrow - for indeed the morrow may very well bring their doom - but Liam and Killian remain aboard the  _Jewel_  to prepare the ship for her voyage to another realm. By first light, the ten crewmen return to the vessel, and together the twelve brave souls sail the ship away from the harbour and into open water.

Killian and Liam stride together to the prow of the ship.  Killian removes the magic bean from the pocket of his coat and rubs it gingerly between his fingers. The world seems to hold its breath for a split second as Killian draws back his arm and casts the bean into the sea as far from the  _Jewel_  as he can throw it.  In an instant, a maelstrom opens before them, and Liam calls to the helmsman above roar of the churning waters, ordering him to make straight for it.

The ship groans as it enters the outer rim of the vortex and is pulled around and around, deeper and deeper into black swirling storm. Killian shouts to the men to hold fast and tie themselves down, as the  _Jewel_  makes her descent. Two more circles around the funnel, and with a noise like a thunderclap they are all plunged into darkness.

They emerge in a thick mist under unfamiliar skies.  It is seemingly night here, though it was early morning in the land they’ve left behind. The stars, a source of constancy and guidance in their home realm, now mock them casting eerie light from their alien formations.

Liam orders the crew not to light any lanterns.  If this realm is as dangerous a place as Nova had warned, then they must take care not to draw any more attention to their presence than necessary. The island looms menacingly before them through the fog, and the crew lays anchor in small cove.  Two men are chosen to stay behind and mind the ship - to keep her ready in case there is a need for hasty retreat. The rest pile into the long boats and row for shore.

As they step out of their landing craft, the crew are met by a young boy, standing unwaveringly on the beach, arms folded across his chest.  The boy is sandy-haired and cheerful of countenance, though his eyes have a slight tilt to the corners, his ears almost pointed, giving the lad a wild, almost fae appearance. Though he looks no older than Killian had been when he’d received his first commission as a midshipman (perhaps 14 or 15), something about the lad’s bearing is distinctly unsettling.

“Welcome to Neverland,” he says with a grin, spreading his hands to encompass the expanse of the island.  Lowering them again, he takes a seemingly tentative step closer. With pursed lips and a furrowed brow he turns to Liam and Killian.  “Now, might I inquire as to your purpose on these shores?”

Killian is on edge, his nerves tight as a bowstring in this strange place. He does not wish to waste time exchanging pleasantries with the boy, and his courtesy falters.  “Lad, we are here on a mission of rescue.  It is of the utmost urgency, and if you cannot or will not be of help to us, then pray get out of our way.”

The boy’s mouth drops open in mock affront. “Now, now, Lieutenant.  Is that any way to ask the ruler of this island for his assistance?” Killian, Liam and the men draw back as realization of the boy’s identity dawns, their hands slipping quickly to the hilts of their weapons.  They knew enough of Pan from Nova’s forewarning to immediately act on the defensive.

Pan conjures a sword to his hand out of thin air. “Perhaps you should have said, ' _please!'_ ” he snarls, then lifts a hand to his mouth and voices an unearthly crowing. At the sound, a troop of boys, none looking older than Pan himself, spring forth from the surrounding foliage and attack with shocking brutality.

Swords clang and flash, the night fills with the sounds of fighting. Killian, Liam and the crew of the  _Jewel_  hold back at first, hesitant to harm their youthful attackers. It only takes a few seconds to realize that these are no mere boys, but it is enough for the boys gain the advantage.  Soon the men find themselves surrounded, outnumbered, and to Killian’s utter horror, with a sword pressed against their Captain’s throat.

“Put down your weapons!” Killian shouts, and the men slowly obey, trusting in their Lieutenant.  He stands firm and looks the demon Pan squarely in the eye.  “What do you want with us?” He growls, using his anger to mask his fear.

Pan saunters forward with a wry smile. “With your crew?  Nothing.”  With a flick of his hand, the eight crewmen who had come ashore with Killian and Liam vanish in a swirl of smoke.

Killian stares at the sand where his crew stood only moments before.  “What have you done with them?” He shouts, glaring dangerously at Pan.

“I’ve sent them home.” Pan shrugs as if bored by the question. “Or rather, I’ve sent them all to a brothel in Glowerhaven.  They’ll awake tomorrow morning with no memory of this place, and nothing worse than a hangover and a rather high bar tab. Although,” he added with a sickening smile, “if they decide to partake of the services of the house, they may pick up a few  _other_  unpleasant things.”

Killian turns his head away in disgust, still too concerned for his brother to feel much relief on behalf of his crewmen.

Pan chuckles derisively. “As I said, I’ve little interest in your crew.  Now you and your Captain, or should I say brother?  You two I find a bit more-” he waved his hand as if searching for the word “-interesting.”  Killian cuts his eyes to Pan’s face as the child-like monster continues, “Of course, I know why you’re here, Lieutenant Jones.”

Killian’s eyes widen, and Pan smirks. “Quite brave of you - brazen, really - to come all the way here to rescue your little fairy. I can respect a bit of brazenness. So, I have decided to reward you.  You may have safe passage off of this island and back to your own realm,  _and_ -” Pan points his finger for emphasis “-I am even feeling so generous as to allow you to take one person with you.”

Killian grits his teeth, the muscles of his jaw clenching.  He knows full well where this is going before Pan finishes his speech.  “So, who will it be then, Lieutenant?  Your little fairy tart?  Or your brother?”

“You must think me a great fool,” Killian answers, his voice low and harsh. “One would have to be a great fool to accept the bargain of a monster such as you.”

Pan’s eyes flash, all smirking and feigned civility gone.  “You should really consider my offer, Lieutenant, for it is the best you are going to get.  No one comes or goes from this island without my permission.  You cannot escape, and just exactly how long do you think you can survive? The three of you will be dead within a fortnight.  Or perhaps I will take pity on you, and allow you to become my slaves.”

Pan stops suddenly and becomes unsettlingly calm. With a feline tilt of his head, he huffs out a small laugh.  “I will give you one day to reconsider.   As a gesture of good faith, I will release you both.” He gestures to the tall blond boy holding a sword to Liam’s throat, and he lowers his weapon.  The two other boys holding Liam from behind yield their grasps, and Liam stumbles forward to Killian’s side.  

With a feral smile, Pan continues, “I will even go so far as to tell you where to find your precious fairy.  She is held prisoner in the Echo Cave at the base of that mountain, less than a day’s trek from here. Not that finding her will help, mind you. I will be seeing you again soon, and I do hope you have a better answer for me.  Otherwise, well…” He scratches his head as if in contemplation. “I suppose my archers can use you for target practice.”  With that, Pan and his minions vanish, leaving the Jones brothers alone on the beach.  

“That demon is toying with us,” Liam grumbles.

“Aye, that he is, brother.  And we cannot afford to play his game,” Killian replies.

Liam exhales sharply. “So, how do we avoid playing his game when we are standing on his own personal chessboard?”

Killian gives a small shake of his head. “ _That_ , I’m not sure of, but at the very least we have something to aid us of which Pan knows nothing.”  Killian taps two fingers against his chest where the bottle of pixie dust rests, tied to a cord around his neck.

“Aye, that we do.” Liam nods, steeling his resolve as a plan forms in his mind. “Pan said he would give us a day for you to reconsider his offer.  He must expect that we will at least make an attempt to rescue Tinkerbell from the Echo Cave in that time, but I do not think he will move to stop us.  He wants us to try - to see the futility of it all. That either we will fail to rescue her, or fail to get ourselves back off of this accursed island.”

“But, with the pixie dust we may be able to get off the island without Pan’s leave. So, our next move is to make for the Echo Cave then?”

“No, brother.  Our next move is to get a few hours rest.”  Liam holds his hand up to silence the protest he can see forming on Killian’s lips. “We  _rest_. We shall need every ounce of our strength, not to mention our wits to succeed. If we are already dead on our feet from exhaustion, it will not be long before we are plain dead.”

Killian grunts in annoyance, but relents.  “At least let me take the first watch.  I am too anxious to sleep right now.”

Liam eyes his little brother suspiciously. “Very well, but know that if you try to run off on your own while I’m asleep, when I catch back up to you, I will tie your sorry arse to a tree to keep it from happening again.”

Kilian rolls his eyes and slumps to the ground, leaning back against a tree. Liam joins him, laying on the soft grass nearby.

Sighing, Killian turns to Liam.  “I suppose our adventure has just begun, hasn’t it, brother?”

Liam answers on a yawn. “Aye.  It is just beginning.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to unspoken-and-wild for being an awesome beta/editor and fellow Tinkerhook lover!
> 
> Talk to me people: Will the Jones boys save Tink and make it off the island? What secrets will be revealed in the Echo Cave?  
> Your comments give me life! Let me know you're out there!


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